Amsterdam Bus Tour

Amsterdam's UNESCO Canal Ring by Boat

The 17th-century canal ring, formed by the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010 and is the heart of any Amsterdam canal tour. Merchants of the Dutch Golden Age built the tall, narrow gabled houses you see from the water, many still with the hoisting beams used to lift goods to the attic.

On the hop-on hop-off boats you glide under arched stone bridges, past colourful houseboats and quiet side canals that most visitors only see from the pavement. Boat stops sit close to the Anne Frank House and the Museum Quarter, so the water route doubles as a relaxed way of getting around. The best time to ride is mid-morning or late afternoon, when the light on the canal houses is softest.

Museumplein: the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum

Hop off at Museumplein, the green square framed by the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum of modern art. The Rijksmuseum holds Rembrandt's The Night Watch and Vermeer's The Milkmaid, while the Van Gogh Museum owns the largest collection of the painter's work in the world, including Sunflowers and The Potato Eaters.

Museum entry is not part of this ticket, so book your Rijksmuseum tickets or Van Gogh Museum tickets ahead, as timed slots sell out in busy months. Allow two to three hours for either museum. If you wonder how to get to the Rijksmuseum from Central Station, the bus drops you a short walk away, and you can board again when you are done.

The Jordaan and the Anne Frank House

West of the main canals lies the Jordaan, a former working-class district of narrow streets, hidden courtyard gardens called hofjes and independent shops. It is one of the most photographed corners of Amsterdam and a pleasant place to wander for an hour between rides.

On the edge of the Jordaan, beside the Westerkerk church, stands the Anne Frank House, where Anne Frank and her family hid from 1942 to 1944 in the secret annex behind a moving bookcase. Anne Frank House tickets are sold only online, usually weeks in advance, for a specific time slot, so plan this visit before you travel. A visit takes around one hour, and the nearby boat stop makes it easy to continue your day.

Leidseplein, De Pijp and the Jewish Quarter

The bus route also links the city's liveliest neighbourhoods. Leidseplein is a busy square of theatres, cafés and street performers, while De Pijp hosts the Albert Cuyp Market, Amsterdam's best-known street market, with stalls of Dutch cheese, stroopwafels, flowers and clothing six days a week.

On the eastern side, the Waterlooplein stop leads into the historic Jewish Quarter, with the Portuguese Synagogue, the Jewish Museum and the Rembrandt House, where the painter lived and worked for almost twenty years. Nearby you will also find Artis Zoo and the NEMO Science Museum, both good choices for a family day in Amsterdam with children.